Reviews September 2014

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DenP
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by DenP »

Our photo report can be found here http://www.musicalnieuws.nl/album/cat/373
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porschesrule
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by porschesrule »

Great photos DenP. Thanks for sharing them.
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thm
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by thm »

The photos are wonderful. Thank's a lot for sharing them !
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thm
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by thm »

Saturday 20 September matinee
First show for the Blue team
Billy : Kevin
Michael : Marcus
Team : Blue except Debbie : Julie
Adults as usual

Had a row 1 seat in the center today with my head above the stage floor. Here, the first row is even closer to the action as the orchestra pit is completely covered. Which let me experience 'The stars look down' even more dramatic and hell I was stunned seeing Kevin's face watching out over the audience. He has an incredible stage presence as if it is the most normal thing in live for a small 12 year old to sing for - I don't know -1400 people like he was doing this already for like 50 years or so. He want's to become an entertainer - he already is! When he sang his "Lift me up...." with his clear and strong voice, he suddenly looked 3 times taller.
Btw. that balancing bit makes really sense here in Oslo - Billy does that on a wall.

Angry dance: tap routines - that's where Kevin excells most. That scene is much more than London stuffed with other action. Billy finds himself in the middle of the fighting. The tap dance sequences alternate with bits like Billy being lifted up - a kind of slow-motion-crowd-surfing or a Maggie face in B/W projected all over the rear canvas and a record of her being played "these few men...must not succeed" whilst the dark holes of her eyes are zoomed to max.

Debbie today was not that angst-inducing rather a little more charmingly grumpy. :evil: :D

Few words to the character of Dad. He is beeing interpreted more forgiving and and he reacts often softer than the London version. Example : roll-call scene, when the scab recognises him :
Jackie : "Times change, don't they"
Scab: "Yes, times are hard" in stead of "Glad to see you've come to your senses, mate"
Jackie gives him at pat on the back instead of saying " F¤¤¤ off will ya!"

Another fantastic show. Red roses for the blue team at the curtain.

Met 2 forum readers today who also thought the show was fantastic and even would come again if they had the time or the show ran longer. "There are a lot new bits that we will miss in London." Althoug they don't understand norwegian - sitting in the first row, you see all the face expressions and get much of the emotion. And knowing the story and scenes anyway let them have a comprehensive experience of the show. Althoug much is different, yet the musical numbers and scenes are the same and you will always know what's just going on on the stage.
If you have spare time and not be running low on budget, don't be too apprehensive - it's not running for long here! 8-) :idea: :arrow: :lol:
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ERinVA
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by ERinVA »

Thanks for keeping us in the loop with your reviews, thm. If I were in Oslo, I would definitely see the show. Even though I don't speak the language, I think I would still understand the whole show. ;)

It sounds like Angry Dance there takes a bit of inspiration from the Broadway version, where there is much more riot action in the scene, and Billy is carried through the crowd on top of a board at one point.
Ellen



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kport
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by kport »

Norway's Angry Dance sounds a bit like Ogunquit's, too, where Billy is lifted in a lying down position by the policeman, onto the 'wall', and seconds later he jumps from a roof top into the waiting arms of two policeman, below. These changes sound very interesting.

(I checked.....NorwegianAir has non-stop flights from JFK to Oslo this week....Fly over Thursday/back on Sunday (direct) costs $598 on NorwegianAir, including all taxes, if anyone is interested.)
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angelenroute
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by angelenroute »

thm wrote:When he sang his "Lift me up...." with his clear and strong voice, he suddenly looked 3 times taller.
Btw. that balancing bit makes really sense here in Oslo - Billy does that on a wall.
Very cool, thanks for telling us about this!
thm wrote:Few words to the character of Dad. He is beeing interpreted more forgiving and and he reacts often softer than the London version. Example : roll-call scene, when the scab recognises him :
Jackie : "Times change, don't they"
Scab: "Yes, times are hard" in stead of "Glad to see you've come to your senses, mate"
Jackie gives him at pat on the back instead of saying " F¤¤¤ off will ya!"
LOL!!! yes, very different! :lol:

"Good writers define reality; bad ones merely restate it." -Edward Albee
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thm
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by thm »

Sun 21 September
Billy : Kevin
Michael : Marcus
Debbie : Julie
Team : Blue

I bought 2 tickets in advance, now it's been the fifth show (incl. Dress Rehearsal) I was seeing!
And I start to get the hang of norwegian. Well in the first kitchen scene grandma isn't just trying to get the radio (cassette recorder) working by jiggling and joggling it, she just looks for her pasty she might have hidden inside it.

Today again a brilliant performance. I'm again astounded how powerful and crisp the live music sounds - the same with the ensemble's singing. Very clear diction singing as well as speaking. Also again an astonishing performance by Kevin, who didn't fail to act like an old pro - without the faintest sign of wobbliness. His singing also is very expressive not just nice and powerful alone.

Benjamin Helstad as Tony: Maybe it's only me having had my focus a bit more on his acting, maybe it's been just the perspective from my seat on the far left front where I today noticed his very intense acting espeacially the "take your money go to London.."- scene.

I like much the moment in shine when the girls with their purple hats and cane start their vaudeville-act dancing out of that boxing/guildhall stage frame.

When Debbie says to Billy " If you want I show you me funny" Mrs.W. stands already at the side of the loo and hears it - :shock: :o open mouthed. :lol:

The start of act 2 is a little different. Of course without an english audience it makes less sense to interact with the audience pretending they were at the 'Easington district miners welfare temporary soup kitchen's annual christmas pantomime' - so this situation is being performed on stage with curtain up. George enters in Santa costume trying to entertain with a few jokes well as much as I understand they're rather shoal. But I noticed the audiance were laughing. Then the music sets in and a line of balletgirls in school uniform and Maggie mask step boldly forward forming a V with that tiny girl in the middle front. Very cute.
Instead of a huge Maggie doll they carry an overhead projector on stage and a galanty-show is projected on the wall. It shows the miners fighting with spades against a devil maggie head and hands then the head falls into a grave which they fill up.

Big party for all actors after the show. Shurely well deserved. 8-)
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by Darth_Revan »

Finally I saw the Norwegian production today. Although I liked it, I'm not sure about the Expressing yourself. I think it was a bad idea to cast a tall boy to be Micheal, when Billy was small. But that wouldn't bother me, if Michael's character wasn't that creepy. And they managed to top that by replacing the dancing dresses with revue men, who actually managed to drop Billy :-( He was OK.
And I missed the Billy flying.
I will watch tomorrow night again :-)
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thm
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Re: Reviews September 2014

Post by thm »

Darth_Revan wrote:.... I think it was a bad idea to cast a tall boy to be Micheal.......
And I missed the Billy flying.
...
When I think about it - at the opening night, the Michael you saw, Sebastian, was standing right next to me in the foyer and if I remember correct he's as tall as I am (172 cm). That's pretty tall for a BE kid anyway. :shock:
Darth_Revan wrote: who actually managed to drop Billy
Did they not perform swan lake at all? Maybe a precaution??
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